Kim Seung-ho, deputy minister for international trade and legal affairs of the Trade Ministry, leaves Incheon International Airport on Monday 

to participate in the WTO General Council Meeting to discuss Japan`s export control measure. [photo by Han hoo-hyung]

The South Korean government is fielding Kim Seung-ho, deputy minister of the Trade Ministry for international trade and legal affairs who had drawn a win versus Japan in its import ban on fisheries from Fukushima waters, to represent the country at the upcoming General Assembly meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in another contest with Japan over export curbs against high-tech materials to Korea.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Monday that Kim will argue that Japan’s export restrictions are in violation of the WTO rules and the measure would negatively affect the global supply chain at the WTO’s general council meeting on July 23 to 24. Kim had an experience in participating in the battle against Tokyo’s complaint over Seoul’s import restrictions of Japanese seafood following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear incident, in which the WTO’s appellate body finally ruled in favor of the import ban in April.

The ministry said it decided to send Kim given the gravity of the issue, although normally Korean ambassador to Geneva attends the general council meeting. He is expected to confront Shingo Yamagami, director-general of economic affairs bureau of Japan’s Foreign Ministry, according to sources.

Since July 4, the Japanese government has restricted Korea-bound shipments of three materials used in manufacturing chips and displays - fluorinated polyamides, photoresists and hydrogen fluoride – by removing Korea from its ‘white list’ for fast-track treatment. The measure has raised alarm on the export-driven Korean economy that relies heavily on Japan for the materials. The Korean government believes the Japan’s latest export controls are part of its retaliation against the Korean court rulings ordering Japanese companies to compensate wartime forced laborers.

The export control move by Japan will be discussed at the general council, the WTO’s top decision-making body in which 164 member countries participate, as one of the 14 formal agenda items.

By Lim Sung-hyun and Choi Mira

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